Buchanan wins the Oppy

CYCLING: Caroline Buchanan’s record breaking 2013 has continued with the Canberran sweeping the 2013 Australian Cyclist of the Year Awards held in Melbourne on Friday night.

The 2013 dual world champion grabbed the night’s highest honour, the Sir Hubert 'Oppy' Opperman Medal & Trophy as the Australian Cyclist of the Year, joining Anna Meares (2008 & 2012) and Anna Wilson (1999) as the only women on the honour roll.

Buchanan, who became the first Australian cyclist to claim two world titles in two different disciplines in the same season, scooped the pool by winning each of the four award categories in which she was eligible.

The 23-year-old was also named the Elite Female Mountain Bike and BMX Cyclist of the Year and received the tick of approval from cycling fans by winning the SBS People's Choice Award public vote.

“To win an ‘Oppy’, it is without a doubt the biggest award or achievement I have ever won. It shows that all the hard work and stress not just in 2013, but since I was a little girl, has paid off,” said Buchanan who claimed the ‘Oppy’ ahead of finalists Michael Hepburn (Elite Male Track) and Richie Porte (Elite Male Road).

“Since I was a little girl going to the Cycling Australia awards dinner, I’ve been looking up at riders like Anna Meares and Cadel Evans and really aspiring to be at that level.

“So it is very humbling to be up with these names and to set the history for the BMX and mountain bikers of the future.

“But to also win the People’s Choice is incredible as cycling is so popular in Australia, as a BMX and mountain biker amongst the road and track cyclists, to even be nominated I felt was an achievement and an honour,” Buchanan remarked.

It was a superb 2013 season from Buchanan, who embarked on an ambitious campaign of winning a unique cycling world championships ‘triple crown’ in just two months and across three continents.

Buchanan’s whirlwind world tour began with claiming the BMX world title in New Zealand in August and was followed by a credible fifth place (one second off the podium) in the downhill event at the MTB & Trials World Championship in South Africa.

Three weeks later in Austria, Buchanan claimed the 4X world title in a dominant display, her third career 4X crown in five years.

“It’s been the most successful year in my career, and I put it down to aiming (high) and setting my goals higher than I believed I could actually reach,” said Buchanan, who claimed a sixth consecutive BMX cyclist of the year award and fourth career MTB award. She also claimed three junior awards in the categories in 2007 and 2008.

“Committing to three world championships in one year, in the space of 56 days, was a big ask, but it really made me step up to a new level.

“I guess if you aim for the stars, you will land on the moon,” she concluded.

Brisbane’s two-time Olympic relay gold medallist Brittany Elmslie led a breakthrough day for the Australian Dolphins at the FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships (25m) in a snow-blown Windsor, Canada yesterday.

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